Coin-operated playing-card case



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet: 1.

M. PRIOR. GOIN OPERATED PLAYING GARD CASE.

Patented Feb.. `16, 1892.

(No Model.)

PRIOR.. I GOINOPERATED PLAYING GARD OASE.

No. 468,827'. Patented-Peb; 16,1892;

TTu/E UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

MATTI-IEV PRIOR, OF WATERTOWN, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK 7. MUNROE, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

COIN-OPERATED PLAYING-CARD CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,827', dated February 16, 1892. Application filed June 1,1891.' Serial No. 394,634.. (No model.)

.T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW PRIOR, of Vatertown, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Playing-Gard Cases, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my imploved card-case; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, looking from the rear; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section; Fig. 4., views similar to that shown in Fig. 2, the card-springs being removed; and Fig. 5, an elevation showing the coin-releasing mechanism.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to a case forholding playing-cards, provided with coinoperated locking mechanism; and it consists in certain novel features, hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the obj ect being to produce asimple, cheap, and effective device of this character.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the case, which is preferably rectangular in form, and is provided with a hinged lid b at its top, which is elevated by a pivoted spring d when released from its locking mechanism. The lower portion of the front f is hinged at t, forming a lid h, said lid being fastened to the body by a bolt t', which works inlugs j on the inner face of said lid. A glazed opening 7b' is formed in the lid, through which acard Z, containing directions for operating the device, may be exposed. The lid isprovided with a lock m, of which the bolt t' formsa part, said bolt being pushed by a spring p into its socket (see Fig. 3) in the bottom of the case. In the top of the front f a coin-chute q is formed,

and in said front two marker-openings o are 5o constructed. Disks spaced and numbered consecutively on one face, are fitted to rotate in the front f by means of knobs u, said disk being disposed on the` inner face of the front f in such manner that their numerals may be 55 consecutively displayed in the openings r. A shutter 15 has an arm 16 secured thereto, which slides in lugs 17 (see Fig. 4) on the inner face of the front, said shutter being adapted to slide vertically between the faces of the 6o disks t and the openings r, and designed to render the counters inoperative without the device is opened for using the cards contained therein.

Two fiat springs 18 are secured to a plate 65 19, which incloses thecoin-actuated releasing mechanism on the inner face of the front f. The lower or free ends of said springs are connected by a bar 20. An inner face View of said releasing mechanism is shown in Fig. 7o 5. The coin-chute q has its back wall formed by the plate 19, the front f forming the front wall thereof. At the bottom of the main chute q a horizontally-arranged groove 25 is formed, running longitudinally of the plate 19, and in said groove a bar 26 is fitted to slide, the toe 27 of said bar normally projecting into the chute. A V-spring 28 has one end secured to the Vplate 19, its opposite end bearing against a stud 29 on the bar 2G, said spring tending 8o to hold said bar out from the chute. A knob 30 has its spindle passing through a horizontal slot 31 (see Fig. 1) in the front f, said spindle being turned into a socket 32 in said bar. A vertically-inclined boss or projection 33 is 5El formed on the bar 26 and is adapted tio engage theedge of the coin C in the chute when said bar is thrown forward, as hereinafter described, and when the bar is drawn back by its spring 28 this projection returns to itsI nor- Inal position. A bell-crank lever 34 is pivoted to the plate 19 below the bar 26, one arm thereof projecting into the chute q in position to receive and support the coin C. The opposite end of said lever has a hook 35, which. bears against the guard or stop 36 on the inner face of the plate 19.

A vertically-arranged supplemental chute 37 opens at the lower end into the case-chamber D, of which the lid 71. forms the door. Said chute has a vertically-inclined mouth 39, (see Fig. 5,) which opens into the main chute q, and at the lower point of which the free end of the horizontal arm of the lever 34 overla s.

Lr)Ihe card-supporter H comprises an angular plate 40, suspended within the case at the rear of the locking mechanism by means of the coiled springs 4l, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) secured to the rear wall of the face by one end and having their opposite ends fastened in lugs or arms 42 on said plate. The springt-ensioned bar 20 bears on the front wall 43 of the holder H. A horizontal arm 44 on the bottom of said holder rests on a lug 45 on the shutter-arm 16. The hook 35 of the lever 34 serves as a bolt to enter an eye 46 (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5) on the lid to lock said lid.

In the use of myimprovement, the cards K being disposed in the holder H, as shown in Fig. 3, and the lids locked, to open the case and obtain the use of the cards a coin is inserted ino the chute q, said coin falling upon and being supported by the horizontal arm of the lever 34, as shown by dotted lines C in Fig. 4. The knob 30 is then pushed from right to left, as viewed in Fig. 1, forcing the vertically-inclined projection 33 on the bar 26 against the edge of the coin, driving said coin into the mouth 39 of the supplemental chute 37, as indicated by dotted lines C2 in Fig. 5. This depresses the lower arm of the lever 34, drawing its latchl end 35 from the eye 46 of the'lid b, which is instantly thrown open when thus released by the torsion-spring cl. The lid b when closed bears against the top of the cards, forcing the holder I-I downward slightly and distending the springs 4l. As soon as said lid is thrown open, as described, the holder II is drawn upward immediately by the tension of the springs 4l, projecting the cards K sufficiently above the top of the case to be readily grasped and removed from the holder. The upward movement of the holder causes its arm 44 to strike a cross-bar 50 on the shutter-arm 16, driving said shutter upward and exposing the numerals on the disk t in the counter-openings fr, rendering this mechanism applicable for use in scoring the game. The coin when projected in the supplemental chute 37 falls therefrom into the chamber D. The disposition of the. lever 34 determines the size of the coin which may pass into the mouth 39 of said supplemental chute, coins of smaller size dropping therethrough without rendering the mechanism operative. The slide-bar 26 may be moved at will without disturbing the lever 34 until a coin of suiiicient size to be forced byits projection 33 against the lower arm ofsaid lever is inserted in the chute q. A guard-plate 55 is interposed between the lifting-springs 41 and the cards, said plate being secured at 56 to the case and forming Va slide for directing said cards into the holder II. The cards again being disposed in the holder and the lid closed, the parts reass'ume the position shown in the drawings. The coins may be remoted from the chamberD by unlocking the lid i.

The front f is secured to the case by screws passing into the case or in any other desired manner, and the case may be mounted in any suitable position by means of lugs 58 thereon.

Having thus explained my invention,what I claim isl. In a coin-operated playing-card case, a case provided with a lid, in combination with a coin-released locking mechanism for said lid, a spring-pushed card-holder adapted to protrude .the cards from said case when the lid is released by the unlocking of said mechanism, a hand-operated game-counter, and a shutter operated by the movement of the card-holder to uncover said game-counter, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-operated playing-card case, a case provided with a spring-pushed lid and a main coin-chute, a supplemental chute opening into said main chute, a locking-lever for said lid projecting into said chutes in positionl to engage the coin, a sp1-in g-actuated plungerslide for forcing said coin against said lever and into said supplemental chute, whereby said'lid maybe unlocked, and a projection on said slide for returning said lever to operative position when .the slide returns, substantially as described.

3. In a coin-operated playing-card case, the combination of a case containingaverticallymovable card-holder and provided withalid, a coin-released locking mechanism for said lid, a hand-operated game-counter, and a shutter normally covering said game-counter and operated by the lupward movement of the card-holder to uncover -said game-counter,`

substantially as described.

4. In a coin-operated playing-card'case, the combination of a case provided with a springpushed lid and a main coin-chute, a supplemental chute opening into said main chute, a pivoted bell-crank lever provided at its upper extremity with a latch end which engages and locks the lid when the latter is closed, the lower end of said lever projecting into said main chute in position to engage the coin, a spring-actuated plunger-slide for forcing said coin against the lower end of said lever and into said supplemental chute, whereby said lid is unlocked, and a projection on said slide for returning said lever to operative position when the slide returns, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-operated .playing-card case, the case and lid, in combination with a coin-released locking mechanism for said lid, a spring-sustained card-holder adapted `to protrude the cards from said case when the lid is released, and a counter-shutter operated IOO IIO

by the movement of the holder, substantially by said holder when the lid is uniocked,sub

as described. stantially as described.

6. The case provided With a sprinG-actuated ]'1d,iu combination Wih coin-released locking MATTHEW? PRIOR', 5 mechanism for said lid, a spring-pushed card- Witnesses:

holder, Jthe counter mechanism, and a shutter K. DURFEE,

normally covering said counter and actuated O. M. SHAW. 

